1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a content display-playback system which includes a content providing apparatus, such as a server, for providing content, at least one display-playback apparatus for displaying and playing back content, and a operation control apparatus for controlling the apparatuses, and in which content is sent from the content providing apparatus to a content display-playback apparatus designated by the operation control apparatus through a network and the content is displayed and played back by the designated content display-playback apparatus, and to a content display-playback method therefor, and a recording medium having a program recorded thereon, and the operation control apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, with widespread use of VCRs (video cassette recorders) that record television broadcast programs on video cassettes, a viewing manner has become popular which is based on the concept of a so-called “time shift” in which a viewer views a television broadcast program in a viewer's convenient time different from a broadcast time of the program. In this viewing manner, many television broadcast programs are recorded, and are viewed with a time provided after the recording. In addition, in recent years, a recording medium has changed from a videocassette to a hard disk, thus making it possible to easily store more amounts of video data on the hard disk (storage device) without caring about the storage capacity of the hard disk. A video recorder of the above type which uses a hard disk is hereinafter referred to as a “DVR (digital video recorder)” unless otherwise indicated.
Recently, a content display-playback system has become known in which AV (audio-visual) content servers (content providing apparatuses), and display-playback apparatuses such as CRTs (cathode-ray tubes), LCDs (liquid crystal displays), and PDPs, are connected to wired or wireless networks established in homes, business places, areas, and, in addition, in global areas. In this content display-playback system, by connecting at least one DVR as described above, as an AV content server, to the network, for example, a recorded television broadcast program can be viewed at a place remote from the AV content server through the network.
A television receiver of the related art displays, on its display screen, an executable processing selecting menu in response to button operations on a remote controller (such as a remote control unit, operation control apparatus, or remote commander) for the television receiver. A user of the television receiver can perform desired processing such as image quality adjustment and timer setting by using the remote controller to select a desired type of processing and operating the remote controller in accordance with guidance or the like displayed on the display screen.
A receiver or the like, called a name such as “STB (set-top box)” or “IRD (integrated receiver decoder)”, for receiving a satellite broadcast signal, displays data, such as an EPG (electronic program guide), on a display screen of a monitoring unit. In this case, a user of the receiver can change tuning channels by using a remote controller for the receiver to select a desired program to be viewed on the basis of the EPG displayed on the display screen of the monitoring unit.
As described above, in a television receiver and a television broadcast signal receiver, by combining remote control operations and displayed information such as a menu, a guidance, or an EPG, a desired type of processing can be clearly and relatively easily executed.
However, as described above, in order for the television receiver, the STB, or the IRD to perform a desired type of processing, when necessary information, such as a menu and guidance, is displayed on the display screen of the television receiver or the like, and the user operates the remote controller while viewing the displayed information, operations on the remote controller may become complicated.
For example, there may be cases in which page ejection of a menu needs to be performed a plural number of times in order to display, from among a plurality of menus, a menu including a desired type of processing as a selected item, in which a complicated operation needs to be performed on the remote controller in order to move a cursor on the display screen, and in which a determining operation needs to be performed by using the remote controller.
In addition, regarding a monitoring apparatus such as a television receiver, a type of monitoring apparatus increases in number which has portability and reduced size and weight achieved by using an LCD or the like, and which can be used at hand of the user. In this case, the remote controller for the television receiver is unnecessary. In addition, it is cumbersome to use a remote controller for an external input apparatus such as a receiving apparatus for supplying a video signal and an audio signal to the television receiver.
Accordingly, the assignee of the present invention has already proposed a bidirectional communication system having a configuration in which a display apparatus is used to enable viewing video information such as a television program, and listening to audio information, and which enables remote control of a base apparatus for supplying a video signal to the display apparatus and an external input apparatus connected to the base apparatus by using operating display information displayed on a display element of the display apparatus and a contact position detector such as a touch panel. In this configuration, the bidirectional communication system can perform remote control and can establish a home network having good usability without needing complicated operations. According to this bidirectional communication system, by using the operating display information displayed on the display element of the display apparatus and the contact position detector such as a touch panel, the base apparatus for supplying the video signal to the display apparatus and the external input apparatus connected to the base apparatus can be remote-controlled, whereby desired video can easily be selected and can be displayed on the display apparatus.
For example, the assignee of the present invention disclosed a content display-playback system and video display control apparatus (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-333359) in which, by using a bidirectional communication system of the above type, a base apparatus supplies video signals to a plurality of display apparatuses.
The assignee of the present invention disclosed a technology (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-333937) for improving convenience of an information processing apparatus. In this technology, to facilitate a user's manual operation, when an operation unit, such as a jog dial, is not operated, operation details are not unnecessarily displayed, and, when an operation on the jog dial is initiated, the operation details are displayed.